Roasting (baking, braising) a whole chicken in a Chamba clay pot

I have been using my La Chamba pot for beans and loving it. It is a covered oval, so I think I can prepare a whole chicken in the oven in some way. Any suggestions? Covered or uncovered? Added liquid (I'm not wildly fond of tomatoes with chicken, ) I'm thinking saffron, scallions, white wine, shallots? Can I put it in a preheated oven, or does it have to warm up as the oven warms up? Ideas?

4 Comments

I have always used the hot water pre-soak method (for about 40 years), and lay down a layer of small-chop mirapoix, a liberal amount of white wine, and branches of whatever herbs I have. Remove the twigs after it is cooked. The meat will fall off the bone and taste superb. You can use a blender to create a sauce with the veg and wine, and, crisp the skin with a few moments under the broiler (watching closely).

So many opportunities! Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, chicken with Moroccan spices, chicken and lemons, chicken with red pepper and olives. Definitely, your chicken with saffron, scallions, white wine, and shallots. Some clay pot manufacturers say to warm it up as the oven warms, or you could also warm it on the stove before putting it in the oven. Definitely covered, though for some dishes, you may want to crank up the heat a bit and uncover it at the end.

Covered. All those aromatics sound great. Preheat the pot, with water in it, in the oven before using. Then toss the water and put the chicken in and cover. Have fun! ;o) P.S. The chicken will not have a crispy skin, but it will be moist, tender and insanely delicious. (I make an Indonesian Beggars Chicken in a clay pot . . . it's one of my sons' favorite meals, and has been since I first made it, about 15 years ago.)